The Avengers of Omnichannel

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April 30, 2015

The Avengers of Omnichannel

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Providing great customer service can be a superheroic task. Agents have to provide helpful, knowledgeable support to people all over the world, and they have to do it fast. That’s no easy feat.

Luckily, agents don’t have to go it alone. They’ve got an awesome omnichannel lineup on their side to save their customers’ day. And what better team to help them out than the Avengers, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes?

The Avengers are a lot like omnichannel, where different channels with different capabilities come together to deliver the best, most helpful service to customers. They may not always get along, but when they work together, these channels—ahem, heroes–can do amazing feats at which we can only marvel.

Below, we present the heroes in our omnichannel service lineup…Avengers-style.

Captain America as Voice

avengers_characters_captain america

Backstory: Captain America may not be the flashiest or strongest member of the Avengers, but the super soldier is more than able to hold his own with enhanced strength, speed and his trusty shield. As the oldest member on the team, he’s the de facto leader thanks to his tactical experience and century-spanning perspective.

How he’s like the channel: Just like Captain America, voice has been around for a long time, but is still one of the most powerful methods of customer service. Much like Captain America, voice is the foundation of modern communication, and without its guiding force, we wouldn’t have the strong service channel lineup we have today.

The Hulk as Social Media

avengers_characters_hulk

Backstory: Due to an overexposure of gamma radiation, mild-mannered scientist Bruce Banner transforms into the Hulk whenever he gets angry and can go on a rampage against the Avengers’ enemies. He’s usually able to keep his cool and stay level-headed, but if not, his mean, green alter ego will do some big damage.

How he’s like the channel: On social media, customers can be supportive of brands but often get angry about bad service experiences in the hopes of getting a company’s (and sometimes the media’s) attention. Like the Hulk, it only takes one bad experience to set customers off, and on social, they’re able to do big damage in an instant.

Thor as Email

avengers_characters_thor

Backstory: Even though he’s the crown prince of Asgard, a medieval-like realm on the other side of the universe, Thor has taken it upon himself to fight as a defender of Earth as one of the Avengers. As a demigod, Thor can summon and channel great bolts of lightning with his hammer Mjolnir and travel between dimensions using the Bifröst.

How he’s like the channel: Much like Thor’s lightning powers, businesses can send large blasts of electronic mail regarding customer service, which travel from one end of the earth to the other in the blink of an eye. It may not be the newest or most exciting channel, but with a cosmic reach like Thor’s (almost everyone has an email address), it’s a channel to be reckoned with.

Iron Man as Mobile Apps

avengers_characters_iron man

Backstory: As the CEO of Stark Industries, outspoken billionaire Tony Stark is involved in creating and bankrolling the latest and greatest technology. This includes regular updates to his Iron Man suit of armor, which the tech genius has equipped with a powerful arsenal of weapons like repulsors, missiles and even AI.

How he’s like the channel: Just like Tony Stark, mobile apps are one of the most popular and invested-in service channels, but they require a lot of money and development (not to mention updates) to be effective. But just like Tony Stark getting in his Iron suit, once customers open mobile apps, they’ve got a lot of tools at their disposal.

Hawkeye as Text Messaging

avengers_characters_hawkeye

Backstory: Hawkeye might just be the most underrated Avenger on the team, but his skills as an expert marksman shouldn’t be overlooked. Although his weapon of choice, the bow and arrow, seems outdated, the former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent retrofits trick arrows capable of making a big impact from a distance as he fights for the Avengers.

How he’s like the channel: Much like Hawkeye’s weapon of choice, text messaging seems kind of old school, but it’s got a few trick arrows up its sleeve: it can send voice files, pictures, videos and more. And much like Hawkeye when he’s aiming at a target, customers can receive quick, direct communications about their specific service situation, making an impact when it’s needed most.

Black Widow as the Web

avengers_characters-07

Backstory: A former agent for the fictional spy agency S.H.I.E.L.D. and an even more former Russian spy, Black Widow is a highly-trained assassin who’s no stranger to adopting different personas to carry out her mission. With her combined background in martial arts, strategy and espionage, the sole female Avenger is able to get into her opponents’ headspace physically and mentally.

How she’s like the channel: The Web is a lot like Black Widow—it can get dark and dangerous, and when it comes to customer service, difficult to find the answers you’re looking for. But much like Black Widow and her spy background, companies can figure out what questions customers might have and proactively address them with web chat or forums on their website. When solutions can be delivered with the insight and precision of Black Widow, you know you’ve got a great customer service tool.

Nick Fury as Integration

avengers_characters_black widow

Backstory: Nick Fury is the gruff, eyepatch-wearing former director of S.H.I.E.L.D., before it was infiltrated by the fictional terrorist organization HYDRA. Although he’s stayed mostly off the grid since S.H.I.E.L.D.’s dissolution, Fury originally assembled the Avengers to fight off an alien threat and eventually save the world.

How he’s like the channel: Much like Fury, integration is able to combine the strengths of different channels to provide the best customer service experience possible. And although all of these channels are powerful on their own, much like the heroes Fury assembled, the ability to work together as a team and communicate wouldn’t have been possible without integration.

By working together, these channels can deliver the greatest service the world has ever seen. And the results are, dare we say, super.

To learn more about delivering a super omnichannel experience, download our new ebook here.

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